Abstract: A “primary” content providing site effects the simultaneous provision of different sets of content to one or more content display sites by transmitting “handoff” instructions that cause one or more “proxy” content providing sites to provide content to the content display site(s). (Content may or may not be provided directly from the primary content providing site.) Since content is provided from more than one content providing site, the invention enables a primary content providing site to effect the simultaneous provision of different sets of content in a manner that ameliorates the bandwidth limitations associated with a conventional content distribution scheme in which all of the sets of content are provided from a single content providing site.

Abstract: An improved vacuum variable capacitor can include one or more characteristics that provide advantages over previous vacuum variable capacitors. In particular, the vacuum variable capacitor can be constructed so as to enable the capacitance to be adjusted more easily, reduce parasitic electrical characteristics that degrade the performance of the vacuum variable capacitor, increase the strength of the capacitor plates of the vacuum variable capacitor, reduce the size of the vacuum variable capacitor, and/or make the shape of the vacuum variable capacitor more easily integrated into a system of which the vacuum variable capacitor is part.

Abstract: The invention enables the apparent display rate of an audiovisual display to be varied. The invention can modify an original set of audio data in accordance with a target display rate, then modify a related original set of video data to conform to the modifications made to the audio data set, such that the modified audio and video data sets are synchronized. When the modified audio and video data sets so produced are used to generate an audiovisual display, the audiovisual display has an apparent display rate that approximates the target display rate. The target display rate can be faster or slower than a normal display rate at which an audiovisual display system generates an audiovisual display from the original sets of audio and video data. The target display rate can be established solely by a user instruction, by analysis of the audiovisual data, or by modification of a user-specified nominal target display rate based upon analysis of the audiovisual data.

Abstract: The invention enables a layer of metal to be formed on a substrate with few or no voids formed in the layer, with increased throughput and without raising the temperature of the substrate to a level that may damage the substrate. A layer of metal can be formed on a substrate using a cold deposition step followed by a hot deposition step. The cold deposition step need only be performed for a time sufficient to deposit metal over the entire surface on which the metal layer is to be formed. In the hot deposition step, further metal is deposited while the substrate is rapidly heated to a target temperature. The rapid heating quickly mobilizes the atoms of the deposited metal, making the deposited metal far less susceptible to cusping and voiding than has been the case with previous methods for depositing a metal layer on a substrate that include a cold deposition step followed by a hot deposition step.

Abstract: The invention mediates use of a computer resource by multiple events that seek to use the computer resource at the same time. In particular, the invention mediates such use by events that seek to use the computer resource at times that are not known until access to the computer resource is sought. Advantageously, the invention enables mediation of the use of a computer resource when typical operating system functionality provided for that purpose is ineffective. The invention allows work initiated by an event granted access to a resource to be completed by a different, interrupting event.

Abstract: The invention provides additional protection for data stored in a data storage device situated within a secure environment by using active erasure to erase the stored data when an intrusion into the secure environment is detected. Active erasure effects erasure of data in a data storage device much more rapidly than passive erasure, so that the erasure of data cannot be prevented by a tamperer before the data is erased. Active erasure also enables data to be rapidly erased without requiring use of a processor (and, in some cases, additional devices) to effect the erasure or other destruction of data, which use is relatively complex and expensive, can be disabled in some situations, and cannot guarantee destruction of data in situations in which insufficient power may be available to operate the processor. The invention has particular utility when used with a volatile data storage device that is situated within a secure environment and connected to a power supply.

Abstract: The invention enables extension of the useful life of a chemical bath used to process a substrate. The invention can employ an improved rinsing method that removes defects from a substrate with sufficient effectiveness to obtain acceptable defect levels even as the quality (e.g., composition and/or contaminant level) of the chemical bath degrades over time such that substrates that are immersed in the bath accumulate more defects than can be adequately removed by previous rinsing methods. For example, the invention can enable a stagnant chemical bath to be used for a period greater than 24 hours without replacing the bath fluid. Similarly, it is expected that use of the invention can enable a recirculated chemical bath to be used for a period greater than 48 hours without replacing the bath fluid.

Abstract: The invention facilitates and enhances review of a body of information (that can be represented by a set of audio data, video data, text data or some combination of the three), enabling the body of information to be quickly reviewed to obtain an overview of the content of the body of information and allowing flexibility in the manner in which the body of information is reviewed. In a particular application of the invention, the content of audiovisual news programs is acquired from a first set of one or more information sources (e.g., television news programs) and text news stories are acquired from a second set of one or more information sources (e.g., on-line news services or news wire services). In such a particular application, the invention can enable the user to access the news stories of audiovisual news programs in a random manner so that the user can move quickly among news stories or news programs.

Abstract: The invention enables the display of an image to be paused, then, at the end of the pause, resumed at an accelerated rate until a time at which the content of the display corresponds to the content that would have been displayed had the image been displayed at the normal display rate without the pause, at which time display of the image at the normal display rate resumes. The invention can be used with display systems that display pre-recorded images (such as are found on video or audio cassettes, or video or audio compact discs, for example) or with display systems that display images based upon display data that is only momentarily available to the display system (such as occurs in the display of television or radio broadcasts). The invention can be used with either analog or digital display systems. Further, the invention can be used with any type of image display, such as, for example, audio displays, video displays or audiovisual displays.

Abstract: A schedule for a complex activity is obtained by a scheduling system using a method of constraint-based iterative repair. A predetermined initial schedule is iteratively repaired, repairs being made during each iteration only to portions of the schedule that produce a constraint violation, until an acceptable schedule is obtained. Since repairs are made to the schedule only to repair violated constraints, rather than to the entire schedule, schedule perturbations are minimized, thereby reducing problems with the dynamic performance of the scheduling system and minimizing disruption to the smooth operation of the activity. All constraints on the scheduling activity can be evaluated simultaneously to produce a solution that is near optimal with respect to all constraints.

Abstract: The invention enables a body of information to be easily manipulated (e.g., summarized, rearranged, edited, selectively accessed or searched) to facilitate use of the information by a user. The body of information is represented by at least two sets of temporally related data. Manipulation of a second one of the sets of data in a predetermined manner is accomplished indirectly through direct manipulation of a first one of the sets of data in the predetermined manner. Where the body of information is represented by more than two sets of temporally related data, the additional sets of data can also be manipulated in a similar fashion.

Abstract: The invention enables a die to be attached to a die attach pad so as to reduce delamination stress that can arise when the die and die attach pad are heated, and so as to provide support for the die at locations where bond pads are formed so that the die is not damaged by forces applied to the die during attachment of bond wires to the bond pads. The die and die attach pad so attached can be used to produce a packaged die having improved delamination characteristics, so that the cost to manufacture and/or store the packaged die can be reduced. The invention further provides die attach pads and leadframes including such die attach pads that are particularly suited to achieving the aforementioned functional characteristics.

Abstract: The invention can enable monitoring of the display of content by a computer system. Moreover, the invention can enable monitoring of the displayed content to produce monitoring information from which conclusions may be deduced regarding the observation of the displayed content by an observer. The invention can also enable monitoring of the display at a content display site of content that is provided by a content provider site over a network to the content display site. Additionally, the invention can enable the expeditious provision of updated and/or tailored content over a network from a content provider site to a content display site so that the content provider's current and appropriately tailored content is always displayed at the content display site. Aspects of the invention related to transfer of content over a network are generally applicable to any type of network.

Abstract: The invention enables a peripheral device to communicate with a host computing device to enable one or more security operations to be performed by the peripheral device on data stored within the host computing device, data provided from the host computing device to the peripheral device (which can then be, for example, stored in the peripheral device or transmitted to yet another device), or data retrieved by the host computing device from the peripheral device (e.g., data that has been stored in the peripheral device, transmitted to the peripheral device from another device or input to the peripheral device by a person). In particular, the peripheral device can be adapted to enable, in a single integral peripheral device, performance of one or more security operations on data, and a defined interaction with a host computing device that has not previously been integrated with security operations in a single integral device. The defined interactions can provide a variety of types of functionality (e.g.

Abstract: An attention manager presents information to a person in the vicinity of a display device in a manner that engages at least the peripheral attention of the person. The information is embodied by one or more sets of content data (e.g., video or audio data). Each set of content data is formulated by a content provider and made available for use by content display systems. Upon appropriate activation, each content display system displays images corresponding to the sets of content data in accordance with predetermined scheduling information. The attention manager makes use of "unused capacity" of the display device and the person's attention, providing information to the person that the person might not otherwise expend adequate energy to obtain.

Abstract: The invention enables the identification of particles in a chamber in which a substrate is processed (e.g., a semiconductor process chamber). Such identification can be accomplished by placing a test substrate [(i.e., a substrate that is examined to detect and identify particles present on the substrate)] in the process chamber and inspecting the test substrate, where the composition of the test substrate is chosen so as to enable identification of particles having a composition that includes one or more of a predefined set of elements. For example, the composition of the test substrate can be chosen so that each of the elements that substantially comprise the composition of the test substrate are different than each of the elements that substantially comprise the composition or compositions of a process substrate or substrates [(i.e.

Abstract: The invention enables the display of an image to be paused, then, at the end of the pause, resumed at an accelerated rate until a time at which the content of the display corresponds to the content that would have been displayed had the image been displayed at the normal display rate without the pause, at which time display of the image at the normal display rate resumes. The invention can be used with display systems that display pre-recorded images (such as are found on video or audio cassettes, or video or audio compact discs, for example) or with display systems that display images based upon display data that is only momentarily available to the display system (such as occurs in the display of television or radio broadcasts). The invention can be used with either analog or digital display systems. Further, the invention can be used with any type of image display, such as, for example, audio displays, video displays or audiovisual displays.

Abstract: The invention enables a modular, typically portable, device to communicate with a host computing device to enable one or more security operations to be performed by the modular device on data stored within the host computing device, data provided from the host computing device to the modular device (which can then be, for example, stored in the modular device or transmitted to yet another device), or data retrieved by the host computing device from the modular device (e.g., data that has been stored in the modular device, transmitted to the modular device from another device or input to the modular device by a person). In particular, the modular device can include a security module that is adapted to enable performance of one or more security operations on data, and a target module that is adapted to enable a defined interaction with a host computing device. The target module can be embodied by any of a variety of modules having different types of functionality (e.g.

Abstract: The invention can be used to monitor the cleaning effectiveness of a cleaning system in which vibrations (such as, for example, vibrations having a megasonic or ultrasonic frequency) are applied to a volume of fluid (e.g., water) in which an object to be cleaned (e.g., a substrate, such as semiconductor wafer or other semiconductor substrate) is at least partially immersed. Generally, the invention monitors the state of a physical characteristic of the fluid during the application of the vibrations, thus providing a more direct and accurate measure of the effectiveness of the cleaning than has heretofore been obtainable. For example, the magnitude of the acceleration of a pressure wave produced in the volume of fluid by the vibrations can be monitored, thus enabling the amplitude and/or frequency of the pressure wave to be determined.

Abstract: The invention enables the apparent display rate of an audiovisual display to be varied. The invention can modify an original set of audio data in accordance with a target display rate, then modify a related original set of video data to conform to the modifications made to the audio data set, such that the modified audio and video data sets are synchronized. When the modified audio and video data sets so produced are used to generate an audiovisual display, the audiovisual display has an apparent display rate that approximates the target display rate. The target display rate can be faster or slower than a normal display rate at which an audiovisual display system generates an audiovisual display from the original sets of audio and video data. The target display rate can be established solely by a user instruction, by analysis of the audiovisual data, or by modification of a user-specified nominal target display rate based upon analysis of the audiovisual data.